


It's How It Will End

by Bunnywest



Series: Bunny's Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 13:03:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12959790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunnywest/pseuds/Bunnywest
Summary: Stiles is in love with Peter Hale, and it’s going to kill him.





	It's How It Will End

**Author's Note:**

> Someone sent me an ask on my Tumblr, and this happened.

 

It starts with a tickle in his throat.

It starts with piercing blue eyes.

 

It starts with a dry cough.

It starts with a cutting comment, and a stifled laugh in response.

 

Actually, it starts with neither, and both.

 

And all of those things are a lie, because Stiles doesn’t know when it started exactly, any of it.

And really, it doesn’t matter how it started.

 

It’s how it will end that terrifies him.

Stiles is in love with Peter Hale, and it’s going to kill him.

 

* * *

 

 

When the Nogitsune left Stiles, it left him something.

It left him vulnerable.

Vulnerable to the old spells, the old curses.

And it left him shaken.

Scott didn’t understand when Stiles tried to tell him, tried to explain how sometimes, he’s still not sure if his thoughts are his own.

Neither did Derek.

But Peter?

When Peter found him standing next to his jeep counting his fingers obsessively, he just curled a hand over Stiles’ and said “Count mine, too. There are five. This is real.”

And he counted with Stiles until his heartrate slowed, and his breathing was steady, and then he squeezed his hand just once, before dropping it.

Stiles stared at him, not knowing what to say.

“Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that we ‘ _got better_ ’ isn’t it?” Peter says with a wry smile, and he walks off.

And that’s when Stiles knows that Peter gets it.

That sometimes, Peter doesn’t trust his own mind, either.

 

* * *

 

 

Right from the first time Stiles heard Peter’s voice, he was unreasonably attracted to the man.

The first time he stared into Peter’s blue, blue eyes, he felt a deep pull.

The first time he saw Peter in a v neck, he sighed audibly, and went home and jerked off furiously to thoughts of being pinned down and taken.

So he’s always known the man is attractive.

It’s just that everyone told Stiles that Peter was a cruel man.

And Stiles isn’t into men who make other people feel like shit, so he mentally puts all thoughts of Peter Hale and his fantastic ass into a box labeled NOPE, and moves on.

Except.

Except Peter’s not quite the asshole Stiles thought.

Self serving? Absolutely.

Arrogant? Without a doubt.

But cruel?

……..not.

After the day Peter helps him count through his panic, Stiles reflects that a truly cruel person would have mocked him, would have called the rest of the pack to witness his shaky grip on reality. But Peter did none of that. Peter helped him, and Peter understood, and Peter never told another person about that day.

As time passes, and Stiles spends more time with Peter, he pays attention to him.

Peter Hale is a lot of things, and distressingly, Stiles realises one day that he can list them all.

Peter is smug, and a little condescending, and absolutely in favor of always getting what he wants.

He’s also kind in small, unnoticed ways, secretly fond of cats, afraid of dying old and alone, and afraid of dying young and alone.

“I tried death once. It wasn’t for me” he comments lightly one evening.

Stiles can see the deeper truth in his eyes.

_I died and it was awful and terrible and it scares me now._

And he wants to say something comforting, something deep, but that would mean exposing Peter’s fears to the pack, and that’s something he’d never do.

So instead, he chimes in with “Yeah, same. These things get such big buildup, and then when you try it, you wonder what the fuss was about.”

And he catches Peter’s eye, and holds up his fingers one at a  time - one , two, three, four, five, and Peter understands perfectly, and holds up his own fingers one at a time in return.

 

They form a quiet, unspoken alliance.

When Scott’s plan is more half-baked than usual, there are two voices raised against it instead of one.

When Stiles needs to research, Peter gives him access to his bestiary.

When Peter needs a pair of hands to handle mountain ash, Stiles is right there.

When they both need someone to bitch to about Deaton and his unwillingness to share information, they turn to each other, griping  and snarking and laughing over coffee.

And Stiles honestly thinks of Peter as a friend, nothing more.

A good friend, even.

Right until he gets the tickle in his throat, and starts coughing up rose petals.

Well, fuck.

 

* * *

 

Peter’s worried about Stiles.

He’s become quiet, withdrawn.

He has a worrying cough, and Peter would swear that he saw him coughing blood into his hand, but Stiles shoved it quickly into his pocket before Peter could investigate further.

Whatever it is, Scott seems to know. Peter sees them whispering together, Stiles shaking his head vehemently, before walking away with his hands thrown up.

He stops responding to Peter’s texts, settling for single word answers instead of the entertaining stream of messages that Peter’s become accustomed to.

He avoids him at pack meetings, arriving late and leaving early.

When Peter tries to talk to him, he brushes him off, saying “Gotta go man, places to be.”

He pulls his keys out of his pocket, and Peter can’t help but notice the rose petals that flutter to the floor.

Stiles doesn’t see them fall, too busy trying to get out the door.

Peter looks at those rose petals for a long, long time.

 

* * *

 

 

Stiles knows what the petals mean, OK?

They mean that he’s fallen in love with someone who doesn’t love him back, and he has two choices.

He can wait until the Hanahaki disease kills him, or he can have the surgery that’s available, and never feel anything again.

Ever.

It’s a lose – lose situation, really.

He’s moved on from stray petals to coughing up half formed flowers now, all decorated so prettily with delicate drops of his blood.

Scott wants him to have the surgery, or even talk to Peter and explain, to see if the man’s willing to at least see if he has feelings for him, but Stiles stubbornly refuses.

They’re debating it hotly when Peter overhears them.

 

“Stiles, you know that the operation’s your only chance. It’s Hanahaki, and if you won’t talk to him, you have to have the surgery” Scott pleads.

The conversation’s obviously been going on for a while, and Stiles seems to be at the end of his tether.

“And then what, Scott?” he demands. “Then what? I have the surgery, and then I feel nothing? Forget it!  I’d sooner die feeling _something_ than live feeling _nothing_. If I feel nothing, I might as well be dead!”

He’s shouting now, and Scott tries to calm him, saying “Hey, man , nobody’s making you do anything, but it’s getting worse. Maybe if you tell him, he’ll be open to dating? And you can see if he has feelings for you?”

_He?_

Peter’s ears prick up at that.

Stiles is interested in men?

That is.....information that Peter did not previously have, but that he’s glad to hear. Not that it matters anyway, because Stiles is already in love.

With someone who doesn’t love him back.

He continues to listen in shamelessly.

Stiles slumps in his chair, defeated.

“I’ve told you Scott, he wouldn’t be interested. I mean, look at him!  And look at me. I was nothing much to look at before I started choking on greenery, and I sure as hell haven’t gotten any better looking.”

He breaks off in a fit of coughing, and Scott rubs his back as he starts coughing up wet chunks of rose, interspersed with green leaves and blood.

“Stiles, it’s getting worse. Please, please let him know.”

Stiles shakes his head, and laughs bitterly.

“You’re the werewolf, but I’m the one dying because of the damned Hales.”

Peter leaves then, having heard all he needs to.

 

* * *

 

He can see why Stiles would be attracted to Derek, honestly.  He’s young and good looking, in a pedestrian kind of way.

Peter prefers his men with a little more character, a little more wit.

He prefers them young and pale and pretty.

What he doesn’t understand is how Derek can be so indifferent to the young man’s affections.

Maybe Derek really is oblivious, Peter muses.

Maybe if he explains to him that Stiles is facing a literal death sentence, he can convince his nephew to take a second look at Stiles, and see what Peter sees.

Peter doesn’t think it should be too difficult for Derek to fall in love with Stiles, if he’d just open his eyes and see what’s staring him in the face.

 

* * *

 

It takes Peter several days to approach Derek, because he wants to handle this just right.

He debates delaying a little longer, but then he hears Stiles coughing like he’ll never stop, and he can hear Scott saying “Holy shit man, there are _stalks_ in there! It’s getting worse!”

Stiles’ voice is ragged as he rasps out “Thanks Scotty, for pointing that out. I never would have noticed the big fucking rose thorns ripping up my throat, otherwise.”

“God, you should talk to him, you really are a perfect match” Scott snaps.

Peter thinks that’s unfair – Stiles isn’t normally this surly, and saying he’s a match for Derek is just harsh.

But the mention of stalks worries him, and he wastes no time cornering Derek.

“Tell me, nephew, are you blind?” he starts.

Which was not how he intended to start, _at all_. So much for approaching this just right.

Derek arches a brow, and waits.

“I’m talking about Stiles. He’s obviously ill, Derek. Please tell me you’ve noticed?”

“Have I noticed that he’s losing weight, getting paler, if that’s even possible, and coughing up flower petals? Of course I’ve noticed, Peter. But what do you want me to do about it? He refuses the surgery” Derek  says, and he’s looking at Peter for all the world like it’s _his_ fault, somehow.

Peter tries again.

“Derek, just think about it. I know your love life’s been….turbulent” he says, choosing his words with care, “but maybe a change of pace is what you need.

Stiles could be good for you. He’s whip smart, lord knows he’s not intimidated by werewolves, he’s the most loyal pack member you have, he’s completely fearless, and you have to admit, he’s very easy on the eye. If you’d just spend a little time with him, maybe you could return his feelings, at least enough that he doesn’t die choking on damned rose thorns?”

Somewhere along the line, Peter’s carefully thought out argument has turned into pleading.

Derek looks at him carefully, before commenting “I thought you were supposed to be the brains of the pack, Peter.”

“Oh no, that’s Stiles” Peter replies without thinking.

Derek rubs his hands over his face in a gesture of frustration, and says “Peter. You need to listen to what I’m telling you. It won’t help Stiles, even if I fall head over heels with him and propose on bended knee.”

Peter’s gut gives a queer little twist at the idea of Derek on one knee, and Stiles joyfully accepting.

He feels oddly upset at the thought of _anyone_ proposing to Stiles, even his nephew.

He shakes his head to rid himself of the image, before demanding “What do you mean, you won’t help? He’s _dying,_ Derek.”

“I never said I wasn’t willing to help, I said it _wouldn’t_ help” Derek repeats.

‘Well, why not? I heard Stiles say he’s dying because of a Hale. If you love him back, we save his life. What’s the problem?”

Derek rolls his eyes, and then states “Because I’m not the Hale he’s in love with, you idiot.”

Peter takes a moment to process that statement.

If it’s not Derek, then who else is there?

Derek waits patiently for the penny to drop, smirking when he sees realization flood Peter’s features.

“It’s me, isn’t it?”

Derek just nods, before saying, “Stiles could be good for you, uncle. He’s smart, he’s fearless, he’s loyal, and apparently you think he’s pretty. Maybe you should spend some time with him, and see if you develop feelings?”

Peter gets up and leaves the room without a word, and goes home to think about what he’s just learned.

 

* * *

 

_Stiles loves him._

Stiles _loves_ him.

Stiles loves _him_.

How the hell did he miss it?

 With all the time he’s spent around Stiles, watching him, joking with him, texting him, sharing coffees, somewhere along the way he should have realised that Stiles has fallen for him.

He missed it, and now it’s killing Stiles.

He sighs deeply, and wonders what the hell he’s going to do.

How exactly do you approach someone and say “I’d like the chance to love you back, if you’ll just give me some time?”

Because Stiles doesn’t have time, not really.

Peter closes his eyes and thinks about what his life would look like without Stiles in it.

He decides that he doesn’t want to find out.

 

Stiles, his clever, demanding, curious, irreverent, gorgeous Stiles, will just have to recover, so that Peter can tell him that he loves him.

Wait.

Peter replays that last sentence in his head.

He loves Stiles.

He was just too blind to notice.

No wonder Derek rolled his eyes at him.

He gets up and gets in his car, and drives back to the loft immediately.

He opens the door just in time to hear Stiles say “Oh my god, dude, you have no idea how good it is to just breathe again” and to hear Derek respond “Don’t call me dude.”

As he enters the room, Stiles is standing with his hands over his head, stretching and breathing deeply. His lips are slightly parted, and there are no flower petals falling from them.

Which means they’re nicely available when Peter marches up to Stiles, grabs the back of his head, and pulls him down for a passionate, bruising kiss that doesn’t end for long minutes.

“I’m in love with you, Stiles” he says as he pulls away.

Stiles smiles widely as he replies “Yeah, I figured. Same here.”

And then he kisses Peter back, just as passionately.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I Tumbl now.  
> Feel free to send me prompts, and I'll attempt not to mess them up too badly!
> 
> https://bunnywest.tumblr.com/


End file.
